Back in the Game!!

I tried the Barney Stinson approach to illness, which is: "Whenever I start feeling sick, I just stop being sick and be awesome instead. True story." It didn't really work.

But today I was awesome! I was a rock star! Well, a drug addicted rock star who comes on stage all amped up, sings through the songs too fast, and nearly passes out halfway through the show. I started out great! I could breathe! And I rocked Half Moon and the back bend - best ever!

Then I did ok at some other things. Still working on balancing and locking my leg out without hyper-extending my knee. I had a few fantastic seconds of Standing Bow where I actually "got" the posture. Somehow it finally clicked, "Oh, right, kick UP and back." I feel like I've been mostly kicking back and trying to pull my leg up.

And then came standing separate leg Forehead to Knee. I won't lie, I was a little afraid of this pose after doing it sick. But I was ready to push through until my face started tingling and I realized my breath was nowhere near controlled. So I sat down. I realized I had limits and took a few moments to catch my breath, then jumped back in for the second set.

Which brings us back to the drug addicted rock star. During this plague I suffered through, sudafed and mucinex became my bestest friends. And since I was going to be doing a lot of breathing tonight, I decided not to give up on my friends just yet, and took a sudafed about an hour and a half before class. It did not dry out my nose as hoped, but my throat was like the desert. And then the hearburn! I'm assuming it was caused by the sudafed. A few weeks ago, I'm not sure if I mentioned this, I took Midol before class and then suffered the WORST HEARTBURN EVER. Even worse than that time I had a frozen burrito for lunch before class. So here's a lesson for you:

DON'T TAKE DRUGS BEFORE YOGA.

That probably shouldn't have been a lesson that took me so long to learn. Let the hot room and the humidity and the yoga do their jobs. Let them stretch out those cramps. Let them clear out your nasal passages. Know your limits. If you're not well enough to go to class - then don't go. Take a day off and get back to the studio when you feel up to it. Otherwise, you're going to be trying to get through the spine strengthening series without throwing up.

Even through I tried to cheat, the yoga definitely worked! I felt energized and able to breathe at the end of class! I was really worried about the time I took away from yoga to recuperate and how I might be starting back at the beginning. That's definitely not the case. Yes, there were things I struggled with tonight, but there were many times where I felt like I was picking up right where I left off.

Hiatus

As you might have noticed, I hit the pause button on my challenge. This definitely isn't normal behavior for a 30 day challenge, but I was so sick I couldn't risk doing further harm to myself. And still, more than a week later, I'm barely functional. I took a few days off from work in order to do nothing but wallow in my misery. The running theory is I got 2 colds, back to back. It makes sense, since I felt a little better for a day or two, and then my symptoms changed and I got much worse.

I'm really excited and anxious to get back to my challenge, but I want to make sure I'm at 100% before I do so. Today is the best I've felt lately, so I'm hoping to be back at it by the end of the week! I think I'm going to do a home yoga workout and go from there.

I hope everyone else is well!!

Not What I Expected...

Let's start with the things that went really well today: Balancing stick!! The past few classes I just cannot hold balancing stick on my right leg. But today I was determined that I was going to nail it in both sets, and I did!

The majority of the standing series went pretty well. Standing bow is still a struggle, which frustrates me because I remember being able to do it when I started practicing last spring, but I was coming off of another work out challenge then and I think I had much stronger legs.

And then we got to standing forehead to knee. The posture itself went well, but if you remember from Saturday, I've been struggling with a head cold. It hasn't been too bad, mostly just annoying. But today I'm pretty sure I re-arranged all the "stuff" that was in my face and I felt like crap. By the time we got to the floor series, I really just wanted to lay there, but I gave each posture a try, and only stayed in ones where I had to have my head upside down for minimal time.

I thought yoga might clear out things, but I didn't get very sweaty today (could be because of me, could be because it was so much colder out today), and I definitely didn't drink a huge amount of water today.

Now, I feel a lot worse. I walked out of the studio and immediately burst into tears, which is fairly unusual for me. I guess class brought up a lot more than just a cold! I cried most of the way home, but the good news was that by the time I got home I was done crying and my nose was totally cleared out.

I think I will be taking a break from the challenge for a day or two. I definitely don't want to pass this on to anyone else now that it has escalated. Especially Vicki and the wee one she's carrying!!

Ups and Downs

My orange furry alarm clock started in at 4:30 this morning, and didn't relent until Husband-Elect locked her out of the bedroom at 6:15, and then the real alarm went off at 7:30 so I could eat and have some energy for class without throwing up during locust.

I've had a bag of vitamin C cough drops on my night stand for the past 4+ months in an effort to ward off any diseases that might feel like coming in during the night. The past two early mornings Fiona (the orange furry alarm clock pictured here) has felt the need to try to get into this bag of cough drops. And then sit on my pillow and purr until I agree to feed her.

When I got up I felt like crap. Tired and kind of stuffy. Other days when I have felt this way, going to yoga miraculously healed me. While in my head I was coming up with excuses not to go to class, in the end I decided to just go and see how it went, since I figured I was just tired from being woken up too early and too frequently.

It was pretty terrible. I love morning classes in theory, but I always do better in evening classes. I decided to pick a spot in the room closer to the mirrors so I could just focus on myself and concentrate on doing my best. Half-Moon, normally one of my best postures, felt terrible! I was tight all over. But then standing head to knee went really well. I was able to lock out both legs and balance for a fair amount of time.

Standing bow and balancing stick were both really strong on my left leg, and really weak on my right leg. Overall, the standing series went by pretty quickly. I was struggling, but I made it through each one. I was actually surprised when we were already at Tree and Toe Stand. For now, I'm maintaining in Tree as I try to strengthen my balancing leg, hoping it will help me keep my leg locked without hyperextending my knee in Standing Bow Pulling Pose.

As soon as we got to the floor, I felt chilly. I warmed back up again, but I was feeling stuffy and thirsty. Camel, normally one of my stronger postures, felt terrible. I just couldn't maintain it. But then Floor Bow, one I normally struggle with, went really well! I need to work on balancing more on my stomach, the stronger I kicked, the more I ended up balancing on my pelvis. I need to isolate muscles more, so that I can relax my stomach while maintaining the kick.

By the final savasana, I was feeling ok. I knew I had some strengths in class and it wasn't all bad. Class had been a series of ups and downs for me, but I could look back and find positive aspects, even if it was only for a few seconds, of each pose.

But then I went home. The drive home seemed to take FOREVER. When I finally got home, I could barely move. My throat was swollen, it was hard to breathe, I just wanted to sleep. Husband-Elect made me some chicken soup before he headed out to work, and it seemed to do the trick for a little while. And 6 hours later I'm finally up and together enough to write this blog.

Maybe my cat had a point. Perhaps those cough drops were needed more than I thought. I'm going to keep resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and I'll see how I feel in the morning before going to Yin Yang class. Right now, I've had a nap and dinner, I'm feeling pretty good and I feel like class in the morning will be perfectly fine :)

Start of Week 2!

Whenever I've gotten the urge to start working out every day, right about now is when I would normally give up. I'm tired. I'm sore. I don't wanna. But I committed to 30 days, and I'm going to keep going! Besides, it's just one more day, and then I get Friday off!

Today was the hottest class I've been to yet! Vicki said we were up to 105!! Overall, I thought the standing series went by fairly quickly, and by then it was feeling stifling. At first I was really happy to have the fans on, and then I quickly realized they're just blowing hot air around :P But it felt good. Like a tropical vacation.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly tiny. Or even medium. I'm pretty big. There are some postures where flexibility isn't as much of a problem as my overall mass is. Sometimes my bulky thighs get in the way, sometimes my belly, and very often my boobs.

When I first started, my boobs got in the way a lot. I'm carrying 38 D's in front of me, and when you're trying to stand with your forehead on your knee and your throat choked, those things are trying their hardest to suffocate you. But I learned with some little modifications (basically trying to get my chin between them) that I could hold the pose just fine.

I'm a stomach sleeper, so generally the floor series doesn't bother me, but it REALLY did today! I was more focused on the fact that I was squishing my boobs and they kinda hurt than I was on anything else.

But since yoga is all about focusing on the positives, I can tell you that I rocked half moon today! And I went further back on the back-bend than I have yet.

I also did better with balancing stick. I'm learning that I need not to clench my toes, and I'll be able to ground down through my whole foot and maintain better balance. This will help a lot with standing bow, too. I love that the Bikram series seems to build on itself. To help keep my legs locked and maintain balance, I need to loosen my hamstrings and strengthen my quads, which just about every posture in the standing series helps you work on in different ways. Definitely felt the quads burning in Awkward pose! My hamstrings are definitely looser than when I first started, and I think my quads are coming along too, because the balancing is definitely getting better.

Tonight was also a very happy group of people! What a great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day :D

Week 1 Reflections

Hooray! I finished Week 1!

And I am sore! I was thinking on Sunday that I wasn't super sore, and man was I wrong! After Monday and Tuesday, I'm pretty sure I can feel every muscle in my body.

Drinking water has gotten a little easier because I'm constantly dehydrated. As soon as I walk into the yoga room, I immediately sweat out all the water I drank in the past 24 hours. I'm not sure if this is a product of conditioning, or if the amount of sweat is proportionate to amount of water ingested. I'm not willing to drink less water to answer this question. I can now make it through the "warm up" series to the sanctioned water break before feeling like my mouth is a desert, and I'm calling that improvement.

What I love about the hatha/bikram series is that you can see/feel improvement as you go. It's the same series each day, yet each time feels completely different. One day I'll nail a posture, and the next it's the one I struggle the most with. But the opposite is also true, and that's what keeps me going back!

And, on a slightly TMI note, this was the easiest "time of the month" I've had in a long time!

I'm really excited to keep going for the next 23 days!!

Day 6 - Vinyasa!!

I had a rough time getting out of bed this morning. I was just tired. It was hard to shake this feeling all day - especially since looming ahead me was the dreaded Vinyasa.

Shhhh - I'll tell you secret: I took a Vinyasa class in college and I hated this class so much that I hated all yoga until I met Vicki. And over the years she slowly convinced that trying Bikram might not be so bad. I took a different Vinyasa class as well, and it just moved too quickly and I didn't know what all the positions were, so I just tried to muscle my way through and often failed. I didn't like that class much either. But I still liked the Bikram series, so I stuck with that.

This is all to tell you that Kate's Vinyasa class at Hart Yoga was nothing like those classes I hated. Yes, it was challenging. Yes, there were things I couldn't do. But I left the class feeling good about myself, and I wouldn't mind going back for more :) I was a little worried when the first pose we did was child's pose, and it kind of hurt a lot, but that was just some soreness I needed to stretch out from the past week!

I'm generally very aware that I have limitations, and even though I could hear Kate saying I didn't have to do a certain series, I thought to myself, "I can keep doing this, I can slowly lower down from plank..." Nope, couldn't. Instead I just fell to the floor. And made Kate laugh. That's the second time in two days I've made the instructor laugh - I hope that's a good thing! I've mentioned before that instead of arms I have freakishly long limp noodles hanging next to me. It's pretty convenient for flexibility purposes, but not so much for holding myself up. Arm strength - definitely something I can work on!

My hips are ridiculously tight. It seems like the more I try to relax and stretch them, the tighter they feel. But it's only week one and I have a loooong way to go!

It's hard to look back on class and find something that was "best" or something I struggled with more than others. It was all pretty new to me. But I had a good time and just about every muscle in my body hurts now! It's difficult not to have a good time when Kate is so cheerful and easy to get along with :D

Days 4 & 5

Yesterday was a much needed day of rest. Granted, I had one of those on Friday, too, but yesterday I really couldn't handle much. I slept until after 10 (unheard of for me these days) and didn't get dressed all day. Not to totally overshare, but it's about that time of the month and I tend to lose all energy, and all ability to positively interact with human beings (bless the husband-elect for still wanting to marry me after these days!).

Naturally, I was not particularly enthused about getting hot and sweaty and going to yoga. I felt gross and bloated and wearing tight clothes had minimal appeal. But then I remembered back to my days as an athlete in high school when working out made the pain go away. And it turns out an excellent way to get rid of water weight is to sweat it all out!!

Once I was in the room, I was pretty happy about being there. I put myself more front towards the mirrors in hopes that I would focus on myself and not other people. At first, I wasn't a big fan of the big wall of mirrors, but they make it super helpful to see what I'm doing and make improvements. Especially balancing! Speaking of, I held standing bow and saw my foot above my head for like 7 whole seconds!! During the photography session on Saturday, I realized a major flaw of mine is my tendency to hyperextend my knee. It rears its ugly head most in standing bow and the first standing separate leg stretching. I need to focus on engaging my quads and protecting the knee so my leg doesn't bow backwards. Also, in reading more of Yoga Journal, hopefully if I fix my knee posture, it will fix my shoulder/back posture. Definitely something to think about.

Camel also felt REALLY good tonight. Opening the chest and lifting the heart can cause all kinds of emotions to bounce around, but more often than not I feel energized and happy after. Camel is definitely one of my favorite postures.




Tomorrow: Vinyasa.

Day 3 - Keep Your Eyes Open

After a day off yesterday, I was feeling pretty good about myself! I got up at 7, ate breakfast, played with the dogs, and was psyched to go to class.

I was so happy to be going, I even got there early! I went in the room, set up my mat, did a few stretches and laid down on my back and closed my eyes - MISTAKE!! I was so cozy in the warm room, I didn't want to get up to start class. I just wanted to lay there. As soon as you get "I don't really want to do this" thoughts in your head, class is soooo much harder. You really need to keep the positive thoughts and energy going. By the time we were through the breathing and half-moon, I was feeling a little better. And man, was I sweating! I wore capri-pants today instead of my usual shorts, and I have no clue how people wear pants in that room. I want to be wearing as little as possible.

My standing bow was TERRIBLE, but I had about 3 seconds of it that went really well and felt good. I'll have to remember that for next time. Once I struggle in Bow, I find it hard to pull it together for balancing stick.

I felt like I was doing better in Awkward, but the second set I really struggled. Standing head to knee went really well! I had my standing leg locked out with no wobble, and I even started to kick out the foot I was holding. I've never done that before!

By the time we were on the floor and doing the spine strengthening series, I was again feeling good and glad I was there. The best part about the floor series is the little nap you get between each posture and each set. It makes me laugh when Vicki says, "Now relax quickly", but it really does need to be done that way. It's a good chance to recharge and let go of whatever you were struggling through and move on to the next!

And I have to say, my final Savasana was also very good. Yeah, I know I laid on the ground like no one else! But I also managed to clear my mind and just be there. That's a big improvement for me.

After class, Allie, Vicki and I did a little photo shoot. It was fun, and a good chance to look at my form and see how I can improve. I'll put some up, and then at the end try and do a before and after.

For now, here I am in Rabbit, since I've been talking about it so much :)

Day 2 - Helpful Talking

Perhaps I started out too strong yesterday :P Today was still good, I just didn't feel as great as I did yesterday.

I drank more water today, but still not quite enough. Perhaps tomorrow I will implement a trick used by bartenders far and wide to get customers to drink more - the straw. Tomorrow is my off day, but with class at 10am on Saturday, I need to make sure I'm hydrated in advance!

For those who have never been to a hot hatha/Bikram style class before, one thing that really separated the class from other yoga classes for me was the amount of talking the instructor (in this case, Vicki) did throughout the class. It does two things that I appreciate: it keeps me out of my own head, and gives me constant advice to make me better. Although, there are times (like tonight during Eagle) where I'm just thinking "shut up! shut up! shut up!", not because I want to do the posture in silence, but because I just want it to be over :) In Eagle you have to twist and balance, both at the same time and I'm not good at either of those things. Wait for the day I successfully do this - you might hear some joyful screaming, you will definitely see dancing. Well, after the soreness wears off.

Half Moon went really well for me tonight. It was an example of how the continual instruction helps! Small adjustments made throughout made a big difference, so that by the end I was stretching as far as I could and feeling a good stretch rather than feeling pain from collapsing too far on one side without supporting myself.

I know I mentioned Rabbit yesterday, but it made me laugh tonight because as I was coming out of Rabbit, I noticed my upper abs were really sore and I wondered when that happened. Right at that moment, Vicki asked if I had felt something and I was caught off-guard and just said, "Ok, I guess." Maybe my face said I was feeling something, maybe Vicki can read minds. Vicki often mentions pulling in your stomach to protect your lower back, and since my lower back often needs protecting I tried to do that more and more this evening, and I'm definitely feeling it now! I hope to feel it more and more as the weeks go on!

Stay tuned for day 3! If all goes to plan, there will be some pictures of yours truly!

Day 1 - A Good Start

My first day of the 30 day challenge was a big success! A very wise person recently told me that yoga isn't about being the best or the most flexible, but about your own personal improvements and doing better than you did last time. Nothing highlights this better than being in class next to the super bendy Lexie. I even found myself watching her in awe during standing bow pulling pose as she easily kicked her leg into quite possibly a standing split. Meanwhile, I was struggling to stand on one leg while holding the other. Lexie is so talented (and such a nice person), she definitely gives me some inspiration to keep improving!

I went into class with sore shoulders and upper back. I don't have serious back pain, but I often have back aches - the product of sitting in a crappy office chair for the majority of the day. But working through the ache to stretch and improve the muscle had me feeling much better by the end of class.

I definitely struggled a little bit less than I have recently, and I heard, "Nice job, Mel" from Vicki a few times. I always love that little bit of encouragement, even if it comes 1 second before falling out of a pose. And especially when it comes during a pose I don't quite "get" (I'm looking at you, Rabbit).

I was not as hydrated as I should have been going into class, and since it was a 7pm class I have no good excuse for that! So today I'm starting right off drinking my water instead waiting until noon and only having a couple of glasses. Perhaps tonight I won't have to stop to get a drink of water quite so often.

Having class at 7pm was a bit of a struggle for me since I get out of work at 5:15 and I had some time to kill and some hunger to overcome. But it was worth it to practice with such a great group of people and get this challenge started off on a positive note.

I slept very well last night, and even woke up concerned this morning that our naughty kitty had let me sleep so well :) Today, my hips are kind of sore, especially my right hip. My back feels less sore than it did yesterday, so hopefully I can improve my posture throughout the day and keep it feeling that way. And my arms are tired. Overall, I'm energized and ready for day 2!! (We'll see if that keeps up for day 12 and beyond!)

Day 0 - Why am I doing a 30 day Challenge?

Hello! Welcome to my Hart Yoga Challenge Blog! I'm starting the challenge tonight, and I thought maybe some folks would like to know why.

I've been practicing at Hart Yoga in Brunswick, Maine off an on (more off than on) during the last year, and I decided a 30 day challenge would be a good way to get me off my butt and into the habit of working out every day. I'm getting married in November and I would like to look my best well before then, at least while trying on dresses!

Why Hot Yoga? Short answer - I like it. I don't like running, or going to the gym, I don't really have the motivation to work out at home. I like the heat. Yeah, it can make breathing kind of hard, and it makes you super sweaty, but I think it makes me more flexible and allows me to get into postures I might not otherwise be able to do. And trust me - there's a lot I still can't do. But at the end of class, I'm tired and I'm sore with a bonus of feeling really good about myself.

I'm still very much a beginner at yoga, and I encourage all you beginners to come in and try it out with me!

Though you're probably finding me through facebook - here I am: